Oluo and Wong have both become distinguished spokespeople with regards to the discussion on racism. Oluo, primarily a distinguished author, uses her novel So You Want to Talk About Race to educate people on how to effectively discuss racism in conversation as well as social interactions. Wong, primarily a stand-up comedian, used Netflix as a platform to speak on racism through humor in her special called “Ali Wong: Baby Cobra.”  Wong, on the other hand, uses humor as a means to bridge the uncomfortable conversation on race.  While Oluo uses a much more serious approach in broadcasting her voice on racism, Wong uses a more jagged and bold style in her set.

Oluo begins speaking about her conversation with her mother on the phone. She described her mother as seeming blatantly naive and ignorant through her point of view during the call. Oluo’s writing style is very effective in this form because it shows you what is going through her head during a very generic situation that happened to her mother at work. Her usage of personal stories with her mother is an excellent way to connect with the reader; Oluo calmly assesses the situation and instantly points out all of the red flags in her mother’s point of view. it is a scenario that, more than likely, all of us can relate to. Wong on the other hand uses a number of obscenities in personal anecdotes to satirize race to keep her audience enthralled. She uses her asian ethnicity as a foundation to make jokes at other people’s expense. This can be essentially effective by pertaining to her own unique audience of the people that come to her shows. By developing a certain audience that become accustomed to her style of humor, Wong became very successful speaking on race.

 

Racism is a very difficult and complex issue within our country. I think the definition of racism is subjective towards the individual based off of their own race, demographics, personal life experiences, and so forth. However, with the definition of racism being up in the air this leaves a dangerous area for interpretation, which is a root to the major issue at hand. In chapter two of of So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ljeoma Oluo, she discusses the definition of racism to be a more factual approach of, “Racism is any prejudice against someone because of their race” and “Racism is any prejudice against someone because of their race, when those views are reinforced by systems of power.” The difference between the two definitions stated lies within the hierarchy that is embedded within our society. This can be tied to the racist tendencies that are passed off to new generations simply just from learning from their environment. Holistically, racism is having a fixated mind set towards a group of people based off of a predisposition of racial superiority. I think it is safe to say that these definitions of racism all share the same idea at hand.

In regards to the video, it might be seen as an over-exaggeration of the sociological structure in everyday interactions (I.E buying a coffee at Starbucks). In Ramsey’s video you can see the rollercoaster of emotions happening within Franchesca’s mind from noticing a plethora of microcosms during the transaction at the coffee shop. My first time watching this video I was confused with the meaning that she was trying to portray due to the heavy comedic element implemented in the video. However, looking back in hindsight, I am now open to the idea that this might not have been exaggerated as much as I initially thought. There are people with these now rational thoughts rapidly going through their head. Although Ramsey’s video took illustrating the definition of racism from a different angle, the message of taking experiences through other people’s shoes was very clear.

Throughout this first semester I am excited to begin the talk on racism. It has always been the most controversial topic that, from my experience, everyone tends to avoid. I am curious to learn why everyone seems uncomfortable to speak on the matter. I have always been curious to have the infamous conversation about the issue that has plagued our country from its beginning.

Growing up in Middletown, New Jersey can be described as a small Vatican City. I come from a middle class family from the suburbs, so it is needless to say I have not dealt with racism nearly of the same magnitude as other races have. However, I have always advocated for equal treatment for everyone, and I am eager to learn about the stories and viewpoints of the implication of racism and oppression from around the nation. I have a feeling that Ijeoma Oluo’s book So You Want to Talk About Race will provide an insight that will broaden my horizon on racism. I find it fascinating that Oluo was experiencing other isolated and oppressed people coming out of the shadows to speak to her after she began talking on the issue.

My personal perspective on the talk about racism is that it is an excruciatingly sensitive topic. In the era of the internet it can seem nearly impossible to begin this discussion without offending someone. Instead of progressing the conversation, I find that it can be easy to get caught up in the way a phrase is worded instead of looking at the bigger picture. News sources are notorious for taking words and/or phrases out of context in order to try to “expose” someone for being racist, sexist, misogynistic, whatever the case may be, without providing the actual background that enabled the phrase in the first place.

 

Hi, my name is Jordan Hamilton. I am currently a freshman at Fairfield University with a major in physics. I recently graduated from Middletown High School North, a public school of roughly 1,200 students located in New Jersey along the shore. I have lived in Middletown my entire life with the exception of being born in Brooklyn. I have two older brothers, named George and Charles. George is pursuing electrician work and Charles is currently a second year medical student at RWJ in New Brunswick. In Middletown, I participated in the local emergency medical services department, where I would be on standby every Thursday awaiting emergency calls. When I graduate from Fairfield University I want to continue to be involved in the field of math, science, and medicine, whether it be medical school or completing research.

I am very excited to spend the year in this class and getting to know everyone. Literature has always been my weakest point and I am eager to fix this. Over the course of this year I am looking forward to improving my writing skills as well as becoming more comfortable analyzing dense pieces of literature.

 

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton